Ferrocenealkylsilane molecular rectifiers.

We developed four new ferrocene containing alkylated silane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), and evaluated their electrical properties in a metal/SAM/metal configuration. The ferrocenyl silanes used in this work can be prepared in one to two simple chemical steps from readily available ferrocene carboxaldehyde. We found that the molecular diodes obtained from these molecules can exhibit current rectification ratios as high as 150. The ease of processing coupled with the excellent rectification behavior makes these compounds very attractive for molecular electronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]